England's Jones and Bern Identify Areas for Improvement After Convincing Win

Despite securing a 33-12 victory over Ireland in their Women's Six Nations opener, England's Megan Jones and Sarah Bern recognize that there is still room for growth. The world champions, who defeated Canada in the World Cup final last September, claimed a bonus-point win in front of a record-breaking crowd of 77,120 at Allianz Stadium, with Bern scoring two tries and Amy Cockayne, Jess Breach, and Ellie Kildunne each contributing one. England's captain, Jones, acknowledged that the team was not at its best, citing pre-match nerves as a factor. Jones, who led the team for the first time in the absence of World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford, expressed pride in her teammates' ability to adapt and secure the win. Bern attributed the team's imperfect performance to the introduction of new players and combinations, emphasizing that it was unrealistic to expect a flawless display. Both players reflected on the electric atmosphere in the stadium, which helped to propel the team to victory.